JTF destroys 127 illegal refineries, arrests 29

The Joint (Military) Task Force in the Niger
Delta says it has arrested 29 alleged oil
thieves and destroyed 127 illegal refineries in
the Niger Delta.
In a statement on Sunday, JTF spokesman, Lt.-
Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, said the suspects
were arrested during the series of anti-oil-
theft operations between September 16 and
September 28. He added that  the 29 suspects
were currently undergoing preliminary
investigations and would soon be handed over
to relevant prosecuting agencies.
Nwachukwu explained that in Bayelsa State,
troops of 343 Regiment of the JTF in Southern
Ijaw Local Government Area clamped down on
98 illegal crude oil distillation sites.
He said the sites were operating with 119
illegal distillation tanks and 37 large open
wooden boats (Cotonou boats) laden with
stolen crude oil and illegally-distilled
Automated Gas Oil.
He said in a separate operation, troops of 29
Battalion and the Gun Boat Patrol Company,
arrested a barge with three crew and a vessel
christened MT Tora Eagle with 11 crew
members in Bodo waterways and Akassa creek
in Rivers and Bayelsa states respectively.
Nwachukwu said, “The barge was intercepted
while conveying some quantity of illegally
sourced crude oil, while the vessel was laden
with 3,600 drums of stolen petroleum
product.
“The troops also scuttled five illegal crude oil
distillation sites and 10 Cotonou boats filled
with stolen crude oil along Lewe, Bodo, Elem
Sagangama, Oluwasiri and Bodo West in
Rivers State.”
He said the outfit’s Operation Pulo Shield, 19
and 3 Battalions’ troops covering Edo and
Delta states scuttled 24 illegal oil distillation
camps and 73 Cotonou boats.
He said 31 of such boats were intercepted at
an illegal crude oil loading point close to an
abandoned oil well in Warri North, while 27 of
the arrested boats were intercepted in Egara
creek along NNPC pipeline in Warri South
Local Government Area.
Nwachukwu added, “The operation also swept
through Ajide, Lagos; Makara, Egwu Aghara
watersides in Warri-North, Warri North-West,
Warri South West and Ethiope West Local
Government areas of Delta, where oil stealing
was also found to be thriving.
“The outfit intercepted 61 pieces of 75 HP
speed boats and a truck laden with 33,000
litres of AGO while they were still lifting the
stolen products. 502 drums, 22 steel tanks,
four plastic surface tanks, 77 metal drums
laden with stolen crude oil and illegally
distilled AGO and four pumping machines
used by the oil thieves were also seized during
the operations.”